Changing a boot screen

Hi,
I downloaded a new XP boot screen and after during a system restore save I tried to install it. It's an exe. installer, but it won't install and I get the attacthed message. Anyone know how to work around this? Also, are there any problems associated with changing your boot screen? Oops, I forgot to mention it's XP home.

 

well, just looking at your message, I would hazard a guess that you need to run your program in a DOS-shell, either from the "safe-mode" access, or a dos boot-disk (assuming you have a FAT file partition - NTFS isnt visible to DOS)

To access safe mode, hold down F8 after your BIOS dumps its messages to your screen, and before you get your first graphical Windows startup screen (the one with the little bar at the bottom ,with the moving green bits ). Choose DOS prompt Safemode (or whatever the exact wording is)

 

ntoskrnl.exe is a core WinXP system file that contains the boot screen, so boot screen changing programs use re-compiled versions of the file containing a new screen image. I just tried to run my (Microsoft) c:\windows\system32\ntoskrnl.exe file and got the same error message. You can't just run that file, it needs to replace the Windows version of the file, accomplished hopefully by the program's installation routine. If whatever you downloaded didn't come with an installer, I wouldn't mess with it at all. Trying to do it manually could corrupt your XP installation.

I personally don't trust those boot screen changers for 2k/XP, they have to modify the heart of the OS. If I was going to try one, this is the only one I've come across that I would put any faith in. And even then it's a Stardock app

http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4072.html

 

Thanks for the answers guys. Also, it's NTFS ChViRuS. If either of you guys have tried both, which do you prefer, Bootskin or Style XP? I thank I'll try one of them if they're safe and don't require too much running in the background.

 

i use boot skin and have never ever had a problem with it

Stardock products rock i also use logon studio to change my logon screen and best of all i use windowblinds for my desktop etc

 

I've used Boot XP on a few machines now with no problems. (url below)

http://www.bootxp.net/

 

boot scrn.

Im not sure whether or not this has donned on any of you...but...the one word that caught my eye in the path for that program was the word 'edition' misspelled into 'editi0n'.........does this shed any lite on the topic.....

 

Hey, thanks for the help you guys. It's nice to come here and get advice from knowledgable people that you trust. I'm gonna download bootxp (from here) right now.

 

boot scrn.

i also forgot to mention when i said it was misspelled i was hinting that it may be spyware/adware or some type of virus...........did you get it from a legit. source? a
spyware/virus scan wouldnt hurt......

 

Ooops, I must have posted at the same time as you gman, and I never noticed that editiOn thing. Good eye.